Healthy Elderflower Cordial — The Wright Foodie (2024)

Makes 2 litres

I don’t know about you, but I just adore the aroma of elderflowers.I used to love ordering an ice-cold sparkling elderflower drink with a sprig of mint and a slice of cucumber (either with or without alcohol) in restaurants until I realised that it would be pretty simple to recreate that fanciness at home too!I always used to buy the elderflower cordial but it wasn’t until last year that I realised how easy (and cost effective) it was to make my own.I made a big batch, kept it in glass bottles exactly like you would with the shop-bought version and it has lasted me the entire year.If you’ve never come across fresh elderflowers – they are a pretty and delicate flower with the most gorgeous smell.I just asked my local greengrocer to keep their eyes peeled for some next time they were at the market, and happily a few days later, I was the proud owner of one kilo of gorgeous elderflowers!

As much as last years batch was a delicious success, this year I decided to experiment with using Erythritol as a natural sugar substitute instead of the traditional kind.I promise you that you really can’t tell it apart taste-wise from the one with regular sugar.It doesn’t have the horrible aftertaste that stevia does,contains almost no calories and has only 70% of the sweetness of sugar.I have only been using this form of sweetener (which is a sugar alcohol) for a couple of months now and if you aren’t familiar with it, so far I can highly recommend it!What’s so great about it, is thatit doesn't raise blood sugar or insulin levels, making it the perfect choice for both kids and adults alike; and especially people with diabetes.

So now that I have a big batch of the elderflower cordial, keep an eye out for a ton of tasty summertime recipes using it!

INGREDIENTS

·Approximately 30 Elderflower Sprigs
·950g Sugar of your choice (I used Erythritol or Xylitol)
·2L Water
·Juice & Zest from 2 Unwaxed Lemons
·Juice & Zest from 2 Unwaxed Oranges

METHOD

·Add the sugar and the water to a large saucepan, and heat over a medium heat on the hob until the sugar has dissolved.
·Remove from the heat and add the juice and zest from the lemons and oranges.
·Add the squeezed out lemons and oranges to the saucepan too.
·Wash the elderflowers and check for any creepy crawlies before adding them to the saucepan.
·Put the lid on and keep in the fridge to infuse for 24 hours.
·After 24 hours, strain through a sieve and store in sterilised glass bottles.